(a) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a locking fixture.
The invention more particularly relates to a locking fixture adapted to be mounted on a fixed stand and used for locking two wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, mopeds or motorcycles, to the stand to prevent their theft, which locking fixture is of the type employing at least one flexible, elongated locking member that can be looped about a portion of the vehicle and locked to the fixture.
(b) Brief description of the prior art
Anti-theft fixtures or stands for locking vehicles such as bicycles to a stand to prevent their theft are well known. Examples of such fixtures are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,783,659; 3,815,721; 3,865,245; 3,944,079; 3,996,775 and 4,126,228.
Many of these known fixtures have the disadvantage of being difficult to operate. For some of them, the vehicle must be positioned in a specific position before it can be locked up. Other fixtures require the use of a key to lock up the vehicle, which key can be easily lost.
Another major disadvantage of most of the anti-theft stands is that they can be easily vandalized, making them inoperable. Some of the known stands can even be easily disassembled at the site with ordinary tools permitting theft of the locked-up vehicle along with part or all of the locking fixture on the stand.